Across the Universe of Time
by Typhoid-love
Summary: AU. He was an unforgettable man with those cold blue eyes filled with insanity. However, she’s seen those eyes look at her in a different way and till this day it still made her body quiver in way’s no other man could. Hugo/OC, Aldo/OC later.
1. As the light sinks low

**Across the Universe of Time**

_When the sea falls from the shore, a__s the light sinks low, will I see you anymore?_

* * *

Hugo Stiglitz. The name was embedded in Elenore Ferland's mind and it would be until the end of her times. He was an unforgettable man with those cold blue eyes filled with insanity. However, she's seen those eyes look at her in a different way and till this day it still made her body quiver in way's no other man could. She never expected to see the man or his eyes ever again after he left her in France to return to Germany.

But now, six years later, he was sitting in her tavern decked out in a Nazi uniform. He was with two other men (also dressed as Nazi's) and famous German actress Bridget von Hammersmark. They were seated at a table talking to each other in German. She didn't speak much German, but she's been listening to German people for so long that she knew the 'captain' wasn't really a German. His strange accent was proof of that. They were her only customers now. About fifteen minutes ago she had a group of enlisted Nazi's leave the tavern since they were getting a bit too drunk and rowdy. The most sober one of the group, which was the woman, agreed and forced her male comrades to leave with her. Now, Hugo and his 'friends' could speak freely amongst each other and although she couldn't speak much of the language she was picking up bits and pieces that was giving her the feeling that they weren't really Nazi's. That one was really giving himself away and he was lucky that the soldiers that were in here earlier were too drunk to notice.

Hugo hadn't noticed her. Either he was too busy with his conversation or he didn't recognize her (it could very well be both). She did look much different from when they were together. Back then she had short curly brown hair. Now she had long wavy blond hair. Not a huge difference but it did change her appearance a considerable amount. Either way, she was glad that didn't see her. No need to go down that path.

She had her back towards the group as she worked at the bar. She wanted to make sure Hugo didn't see her face. If he did then he'd obviously know it was her then. Her heart was beating much faster then she wanted it to be. This was too much. She never wanted to see the crazy German again!

* * *

**1938**

_When Elenore returned home from grocery shopping Hugo was packing. She raised an eyebrow when she entered their bedroom to see him throwing his clothes into a suitcase._

"_Where are you going?" She asked curiously, but with a hint of fear._

"_I'm going back to Germany." He responded not looking at her. He just continued throwing clothes into the bag._

_They both spoke to each other in English. It was the only language they both understood and spoke. He was a German and she was a French Canadian. English was their only way of communicating._

"_What! Why?" She asked, mouth dropping in shock._

_Hugo stopped briefly and he glanced back at her. "A war is happening. I need to go home." He said somewhat hesitantly._

_Elenore walked over to him with wide emerald eyes. "This is your home. This is our home." She said taking one of his hands right after he snapped the suitcase shut._

_He sighed deeply. "No, it is not, Elenore. It's not going to work out between us." He said taking his out of hers and taking a step away from her._

_She looked at him with confusion. "It's been working for two years, Hugo." She responded and he said nothing. "So… you're just going to leave me here?" He nodded his head slowly. "Why are you doing this?" She asked feeling a sting in her eyes with oncoming tears._

"_Elenore, I have to—"_

"_Stop!" She quickly interrupted. "Stop saying that you have to. I want an explanation." She demanded with narrowed eyes. Once again, he said nothing. "Hugo, talk to me!"_

_He sighed deeply. "I'm married."_

_It seemed like time stopped and her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. "W-what?"_

_For the first time ever she saw sympathy in the German's eyes. He felt sorry for her. "I am married." He repeated. "I merely came here to find my brother." Hugo's brother announced that he was going to France two years prior, just a month before his wedding. He never returned to Germany so his parents send Hugo to find him. Just recently, Hugo found out his brother had been murdered the day before he was going to return home. Hugo's been distant from Elenore ever since the news was delivered to him. "Then I met you and—"_

"_And you used me." Elenore whispered taking a few steps away from him now._

"_No! No, I wasn't using you!" Hugo denied fiercely. "I fell in love with you. I do love you." He said grabbing her by the shoulders and she squirmed a little bit. She didn't want him touching her._

"_If you really loved me then you wouldn't be leaving." She said through clenched teeth as she tried desperately to get out of his grasp but he held on firmly._

_Hugo was trying not to lose his temper. He really didn't have a reason to be angry. This was all his fault. "Elenore, I have a wife! I have an obligation to her."_

_She scoffed. "An obligation? You've been disloyal to her for the past two years." She spat at him. Before he could even yell at her, a tear escaped from her eye and he froze. "You've made me a dishonorable woman. I would never sleep with a married man, and you know that!" She shouted at him and she thrusted herself out of his grip, which was now limp. "Now you wanted to leave, so go!" He didn't move. "Go! Get the hell out of here, you goddamn kraut!" She yelled shoving him at the chest._

_Hugo didn't say a word. He grabbed his suitcase and left._

_He walked all the way to the airport while she stayed in what was once _their _home and sobbed until her ribs were sore._

* * *

"Fräulein, drei Gläser von schottischem bitte!"

Elenore was snapped out of her trip down memory lane when the 'captain' suddenly asked for three glasses of scotch. She pretty much understood drink orders in German. She had to know at least that much in a Nazi occupied France. Quickly, she grabbed the scotch bottle and the three shot glasses.

"Und sprudelnder für mich." Von Hammersmark called out and Elenore grabbed the champagne bottle as well. She set them all on a small tray.

Taking a deep breath, Elenore walked over to their table trying not to shiver with nervousness. She set the three glasses on the table and then poured the scotch in them. Her heart was hammering away at her chest. It was hurting a little bit. She grabbed the champagne bottle and poured the liquid into the glass Von Hammersmark held out to her. Her hair covered the sides of her face and she was trying to hide behind it as much as she could.

"Danke." The German actress said charmingly.

Elenore nodded and then quickly turned away. And that's when it happened; that's when everything went to shit. As she turned her right foot met her left ankle and she quickly went spiraling down onto the wood floor with a loud thud; she had messed up her footing in her scurry to get away. She heard a gasp from the actress and the men's chairs hastily push out as they scurried to help the clumsy tavern owner.

It was Hugo who had helped her up to her feet.

"Fräulein, sind sie– Elenore?" She had looked up at him and he could never mistake those big green eyes.

They stared at each other. The tavern became completely silent as the three other occupants stared on in confusion and curiosity.

And then Elenore bolted.

* * *

**A/N: **To be honest, I didn't really want to write this so it probably kinda sucks. But it was in my head and I needed to get it out. More chapters will be coming soon.

I do not own Inglourious Basterds. I wouldn't be doing this if I did.


	2. As the rain falls from the sky

**Across the Universe of Time**

_As the rain falls from the sky, can I bring you back from a distant lullaby?_

* * *

When Lieutenant Aldo Raine reached the bottom of the steps to the godforsaken basement because of the commotion he heard from upstairs, where he was waiting just in case of an incident, what he saw was _not_ what he expected at all. Hugo Stiglitz, his most vicious and antisocial of soldiers, had a woman, who he was guessing was the tavern owner, pinned down to a table telling her to calm down while she thrashed against him violently. All the while, the three other basement occupants stared on not really sure what to do in this sudden and awkward situation.

"Th' fuck is goin' on?" Aldo asked, also not quite sure on what to do just yet.

Wicki shrugged his shoulders still taken back by what was happening. "Not exactly sure. The lady tripped then Stiglitz went to help her up and it seems they know each other."

"Yeah, they look like they know each other really fuckin' well." Aldo said putting his hands on his waist trying to decide on what to do.

Hugo wasn't having any luck in calming Elenore down. "Elenore, stop it! This is ridiculous." He grunted when she kneed him.

"Get off me! Get off me, you pig!" She shouted continuing to kick and shout.

Before Hugo could get another word in, Aldo decided this was the time to take some action. "Alright, shut-up!" The Apache shouted.

Elenore immediately clamped her mouth shut at the volume of the foreign man's voice. She looked away from Hugo and at the bulky southern man with wide eyes.

Aldo stepped over to the pair but Hugo didn't get off of her. The lieutenant didn't give him any signal to. "Now, darlin', before I tell Stiglitz he t' get th' hell off ya, thought I'd introduce myself; Lieutenant Aldo Raine." He said giving her a nod. She stared at him. "This's where y' introduce yer self now, doll."

She blinked, looked at Hugo briefly, then licked her lips and spoke. "I am Elenore Ferland." She said shakily, her French accent getting a little bit thicker with her nervousness.

Aldo nodded. "So, yer French?" It seemed like the answer was obvious, but he was mildly surprised when she shook her head.

"Canadian, actually. Lived in France for almost ten years now."

"Interestin', now how 'bout—"

"Terribly sorry to interrupt, Lieutenant." Hicox suddenly spoke up. "Perhaps you should tell him to get off the woman." At Aldo's glare, he continued. "This is a tavern, anyone could walk in."

"I knew you weren't German." Elenore said more to herself and she immediately regretted it because now all eyes were on her.

"How th' fuck would y' know he wasn't no nat-zi?" Aldo asked and Hugo gripped onto her a little tighter and she didn't know whether it was to intimidate her or protect her.

She felt like a mouse caught under a lion's paw. "I could tell by the accent. It's not a regular German's." She explained quickly.

Aldo glared at Hicox while the British man pouted at his lack of convincing. "Yer damn lucky no one else was fuckin; here. Ya'd blow yer fuckin' cover." The lieutenant darkly told the man.

"Now, I don't mean to sound rude," Elenore snapped. "but will you tell this _beast_ to get off of me now."

Aldo gave the woman, who was glaring intensely at Stiglitz, a hard look. "Y' two see, t' know each other pretty well." He said somewhat suspiciously.

"Unfortunately, yes." She said distastefully and Hugo made a growling noise, which seemed not to faze the former brunette.

"Alright, Stiglitz, get off 'er." Aldo ordered.

Hugo gave a grunt of reluctance, but just as he was about to get off of Elenore, Donny actually walked down in the tavern. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

"Oy! Aldo, why you always fucking busting my balls when I suggest we go to a brothel when Stiglitz here gets to fuck 'em on tables?"

* * *

Moments later they were across the street in the abandoned building that the Basterds were staying in. Aldo thought it unwise to continue their conversation in the tavern where anyone could walk in at any moment. And honestly, he still didn't like that their operation had been taking place in a damn basement.

Elenore sat across from Aldo in the middle of the poorly displayed room. Hugo sat next to her, much to her displeasure, but she scooted so there was a big gap between them. Donny, who she found out was called the Bear Jew, was lying on a bed watching them with interest. Apparently they didn't get much entertainment. Hicox was standing by the window smoking. Wicki leaned himself against the wall by Elenore; she liked him, he seemed nicer than the rest of them. There were three other soldiers scattered around the room who had been introduced to her earlier as Utivich, Omar, and Hirschberg. Bridget von Hammersmark had left telling them she'd see them tomorrow night at the premiere.

She's heard of the Basterds, it was impossible not to hear about them. However, she didn't know much about them. She hated gossip. All she knew is that they went around killing Nazi's. She never would have guessed that Hugo was a member of this American group of soldiers.

But now there was a problem for her and these men. Elenore, who the Basterds were silently declaring as Stiglitz old squeeze, knew everything now… well, most of everything.

"So," Aldo started before quickly snorting some snuff, earning a distasteful look from Elenore. "now that y' know bout or plan, what we gonna do?" He asked giving her a crooked stare.

Her eyebrows creased together. "You're going to go according to your plan I'm guessing. I just want to run my tavern." She said confidently even though on the inside she felt like throwing up due to the stress.

Aldo gave her a look. "Well, now s'pose I letcha go an' y' run off t' go tell some nat-zi's bout us? Our whole mission goes kaput." He said staring her down. It made her uneasy.

Before she could talk, Donny decided to butt in. "Hey, it's either we take that chance or we kill 'er." He said with a laugh.

Elenore's eyes widened and her whole body stiffened. Hugo sent the Bear Jew a dark look. It didn't seem to bother the big Jew though. "Donny, shut it." Aldo demanded to which Donny immediately did so. "Most likely, we ain't gonna kill ya." He emphasized on the 'most likely' just so she'd know that if she gave him a reason to he would kill her. "But how do I know y' won't go runnin' t' some nat-zi's?"

"I'd never tell any dirty Nazi anything." She spat hatefully.

Aldo raised an eyebrow and even Hugo was shocked by her tone (of course he didn't show it). He never heard her speak with such hate before, even when he left her. "Y' hate them nat-zi's, huh?" The lieutenant asked curiously.

"More than anything." She confirmed.

"Why?" Aldo implored.

Her eyes flashed angrily. "That is none of your business, sir!"

"Well, now, that's where yer wrong, _m'am_." Aldo retorted. "I do need t' know cause y' could jus' be makin' up that y' hate nat-zi's."

"She sounds quite convincing to me, Lieutenant." Hicox piped in giving Elenore a charming smile. Archie Hicox was never one to not flirt with a beautiful face, even under theses circumstances.

Hugo glared furiously at him and Aldo gave the Brit a disapproving look. "Yeah, I bet she sounds way more convincin' than y' did." He said with a glare while the rest of the Basterds, minus Hugo, chuckled in amusement. Hicox frowned then returned to looking out the window. He didn't need this. "Now, back t' you, darlin'. Y' gonna talk?" Aldo asked Elenore. She stayed silent. "Look, I need t' know so I can understand why y' won't go tellin' anyone 'bout us." Still she said nothing. He was getting impatient. "Y' can either tell us or I'm gonna seriously consider Donny's suggestion." He said nodding towards the big Jew who grinned at her.

Elenore shuddered inwardly. It seemed like she had no choice now. She bit down on her bottom lip and she glanced at Hugo who looked stone cold… as usual. She looked back at Aldo, her face had gotten a bit red and her eyes shined with unshed tears. Aldo suddenly became uneasy.

"I would never tell the Nazi's about this because… they killed my daughter."

* * *

**A/N: **I'm gonna try to make the next chapter longer. They all seem to be coming out short and it makes me feel like I'm not putting enough in them. I left it on a cliffhanger. Yeah... that just happened. Sorry, if there are any grammatical errors; I'm in a hurry right now.

I don't own the Basterds.

P.S., Elenore officially has a face. Go check it out on my profile!!


	3. Two lights are rising and burning as one

**Across the Universe of Time**

_Show me your vision, the story has begun. Two lights are rising and burning as one._

* * *

Hugo felt as if his heart stopped. He tried not to show his shock, he did need to keep his reputation as the psycho German Basterd, but right now it was hard not to. "D-daughter?" He asked, cursing himself for stammering. Elenore wouldn't look at him.

"Well…" Aldo didn't really know what to say. The room had gone silent after her announcement. "That's… uh, sor-sorry t' hear that." He said flabbergasted. He almost felt guilty for making her say that in a room full of men. Almost. The Apache needed to know what he needed to know.

"How old was she?" Hugo asked suddenly, staring intensely at the Canadian. She wouldn't speak as she held a hand to her mouth trying to stop herself from crying out loud. "How old was she?" He repeated viciously, standing up from his chair making it fall to the floor behind him with a loud slam.

Aldo stood quickly, getting close to Elenore not exactly sure on what the crazy German was going to do." Now relax, Stiglitz. Don't think it really matters how old the kid was."

Hugo ignored the lieutenant and continued to stare down at Elenore, waiting for her to answer. Finally, she looked up at him, tears rolling down her pale cheeks. "It was a year ago. She was five." She said quietly.

He knew right then. He knew that it was his child… his daughter. His breathing became a little harsher, but he was _trying_ to control it. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked without really thinking.

Elenore shot him a look of disbelief through her tears. "Why didn't I tell you? Because you left! There was no way I could tell you!" She exclaimed, her voice rising at the end.

The room went silent again with shock. Hugo's fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly. He was exactly sure how to react or feel about this situation.

Aldo looked between the two, realization suddenly dawning on him. "Y-yer the father?"

Hugo tensed up and Elenore buried her face into her hands. Donny sat up on the bed. "Holy shit, man. _You _were a father?" The Bear Jew asked surprised. None of them really thought of the German as a parent due to his lack of compassion.

Hugo's eyes snapped on Donny and the big Jew silently admitted to himself that the hairs on the back of his neck stood. Hugo's heart was beating faster again. He had a daughter… and Nazi's killed her. He had been a father for five years and he never even knew. He stormed out of the building.

The rest of the Basterds (and Hicox) stared on wide eyes. "Someone go after him. He can't be goin' around all pissed off. Lord knows what that man'll do." Aldo said to his soldiers. Donny and Wicki went to go do that knowing that the other three wouldn't be able to handle Stiglitz. "Hicox, y' go escort miss Ferland back t' her tavern. An', miss Ferland… uh, sorry 'bout all this." He awkwardly apologized scratching the back of his neck.

Elenore said nothing but she nodded. She stood and followed Hicox out of the building.

Aldo slunk back into his chair and began rubbing his temples. "What a fuckin' night."

* * *

Moments later, Donny and Wicki had managed to bring Stiglitz back, who was now furiously sharpening his knife. Aldo was still sitting in his chair, but he was leaned back and seemed more relaxed. The rest of the men were playing cards while they waited for Hicox to come back.

The Brit had gone to go escort Elenore back to her tavern about ten minutes ago. Now Aldo knew it didn't take that long to do such a thing, but he was guessing that Hicox was getting another drink and probably flirting profusely with the poor woman. The Apache shook his head at the thought. This night was definitely one for the books.

And it only became more interesting when a gunshot was heard. All the men froze for a moment. Then Aldo was up and out of his seat running out of the building. Hicox and Elenore (whom Hicox held firmly by the arm) were rushing across the street looking panicked.

"Well, chaps, looks like there's been a change of plans." Hicox said with a nervous smile.

* * *

**10 Minutes Earlier**

_Despite the current events, Elenore did not forget her manners. She had invited Hicox down for another drink. Unfortunately, a problem arose when they entered the tavern. There, sitting at a table patiently was Dieter Hellstrom. At the sight of the pair he smiled gleefully._

"_Ah, Madame Elenore, I knew you'd return soon." Hellstrom greeted in English as he stood up. It was odd that he was speaking English when he usually spoke to her in French. "I came down here hoping to see my favorite fille only to have my hopes shattered." A pout formed briefly but his grin quickly returned. "But I thought I'd wait for your return, feeling that you couldn't be gone very long, and voila here you are!— And with a friend." He said looking to Hicox who was standing there silently at Elenore's side._

_Elenore quickly fought back the nervousness and smiled at the Nazi. "Bonjour, Monsieur Hellstrom." She greeted him in French. "I'm sorry I wasn't down here when you arrived. I was taking care of some quick business." She apologized kindly._

_Hellstrom waved his hand in dismissal. "Think nothing of it. I understand." He told her with a smile before glancing at Hicox. "Who is your friend?"_

_She felt her blood run cold. She didn't know what she was supposed to call him. All she knew was that his last name was Hicox, and she obviously couldn't use that name as an introduction. "This is—"_

"_I am captain Berlitz." Hicox interrupted masking his British accent with a German one. He put his hand on the small of Elenore's back to reassure her._

"_Captain, hm?" Hicox nodded. "I would have heard you were coming into town." Hellstrom stated suspiciously._

_Hicox didn't miss a beat. "It's a personal visit, sir." He said giving Elenore a wink and she giggled to keep up the act._

"_Ah, I see." Hellstrom said narrowing his eyes a bit before smirking. "How about we share a shot then? I'd like to toast to the luckiest man in the world." He said slapping Hicox on the shoulder a little too roughly for the other man's liking._

_The Brit looked over to Elenore who had no idea what to do. She was just an innocent woman; she had nothing to do with his and the Basterds deranged plot. "I actually really must—"_

"_Nonsense!" Hellstrom interrupted. "I insist. Elenore, get us two shots of your finest scotch." He told the woman before motioning for Hicox to follow him to a table. The table he and the Basterds had been sitting at previously._

_Hicox and Elenore shared a brief look before she went to go get the drinks and he went to go sit with Hellstrom. The quicker they get this over with the better._

"_I must say, captain," Hellstrom began. "You really are lucky. I've been trying to win over Elenore for quite some time now. I failed at every attempt yet you come along and win her over," he snapped his fingers, "just like that."_

"_Elenore and I have known each other for a long time." Hicox said in a somewhat mischievous way._

"_Ah! That is it then." Hellstrom said slapping his hand on the table lightly. "While I was trying to win her over her heart already belonged to you." He said with a grin. "I always saw in her eyes that there was love for someone else."_

_Hicox looked up at Elenore as she set the shot glasses in front of the two men and poured the brownish liquid in them. He now saw it in her eyes too; love for someone. Odd that that someone had been Stiglitz. Odd that love had created a child. A child who was murdered by Nazi's. He felt for the poor woman._

"_Yes, I suppose so." He said still looking up at her until she moved along to go behind the bar again. "Tell me," He said looking back at Hellstrom. "If you could tell that she loved someone why did you continue to pursue her?"_

"_I guess I was in denial. Plus, I always loved a challenge." Hellstrom smirked. "Do not worry though. Now that I know she is with you I will pursue her no longer."_

_Hicox nodded. "Thank you."_

"_Now," Hellstrom lifted his glass. "A toast!" Hicox raised his glass as well. "To two people who found love."_

_The men took their shots while Elenore wiped down the bar with a rag. The two men winced at the burn of the alcohol. And that's when she heard the 'click'. She looked up to see Hellstrom had his gun pointed directly at Hicox's testicles. "I've grown weary of these games, _Captain._" He said the title mockingly. "As of right now I have my Walther pointed right at your testicles."_

_Hicox didn't seem all that worried why he spoke oh so calmly. "Why do you have your Walther pointed at me testicles, major?"_

_Hellstrom smirked. "Because I know, captain. I was down here during you whole… 'meeting'." He said before glancing over to Elenore who was shocked about this since she never saw him coming in. "I came in when you were busy, my dear Elenore. I decided to wait in the back room until everyone left." He told her and then she knew why he was speaking to them in English; he was teasing them. He was playing a game with them the whole time. His eyes narrowed on her and she felt her heart drop. "Have they forced you into their plot or are you joining in willingly?" He asked her darkly while she looked on with wide frightened eyes._

"_She has nothing to do with the plan." Hicox quickly defended going back to his natural British accent._

_Hellstrom's steely eyes went back to him. "Ah, what a shame. Now an innocent woman must die."_

_Elenore's heart was pounding and Hicox glared at the Nazi. "Is that really necessary, major?"_

"_Of course it is. She aided you by agreeing _you_ were her lover and who knows? You very well could be her lover." Hellstrom explained._

"_I could have forced her into aiding me." Hicox suggested, desperately trying to get the woman out of this situation._

_Hellstrom scoffed. "That could be but how could I—"_

_The Nazi was cut off by a loud 'boom' and a bullet going through his skull. Elenore stood at the bar with her hands gripped tightly around a gun she kept for just in case. This case did seem rather just after all. He was going to kill her and Hicox._

_Speaking of the Brit, he stared at Elenore wide eyed for about two seconds before jumping from his seat. "Come one! We have to go!" He yelled at her frantically._

_She dropped the gun and ran to him. He grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of her tavern._

* * *

After Hicox recalled the event to the lieutenant in the middle of the French street, Aldo cussed.

"Fuck! Fuckin' shit!" He yelled not really caring at the moment.

"Aldo, he probably called for back up." Hicox said panicking.

"Yeah, I know! Fuck!" He cussed again, kicking some random pebbled on the street.

Donny came running over. "What the fuck's going on?" He asked, quickly noticing how panicked everyone looked.

"Our whole mission is fucked, that's what's goin' on!" Aldo said running a hand through his hair roughly.

"Not necessarily." Elenore piped in and she backed up a little bit when Aldo's angry eyes set on her. "Hellstrom wouldn't call in many men and he'd tell them that it's exclusive."

"Why th' fuck would he do that?" Aldo snapped.

"Because he'd want all the credit for taking down the Basterds!" She exclaimed. "So, if there is only going to be a few soldiers coming…" She trailed off suggestively.

Aldo quickly caught on to what she was implying and he grinned despite the situation. "I like the way y' think, darlin'." He said gleefully then pointed to the Jew Bear. "Donny, go get the men! We got some Nat-zi's t' kill." The big man quickly went to do that despite not really understanding what was going on. Then Aldo pointed to the Brit. "Hicox, y' take miss Ferland to our buildin' so she don't got t' witness what's gonna happen in her bar."

"It's a tavern." She corrected.

"Whatever."

And then they all scurried off to do what they had to do.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh, Hugo, of course it's your child. Be sad... or angry. So yeah, this chapter is a bit longer. Pretty happy about that. Sorry if there are any grammitical or spelling errors. I'm too much of a bum to actually check.

I do not own the Basterds.

Oh, and since I forgot to say this in the previous chapter: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. (insert dorkey smiley face here)


	4. And my spirit burning bright

**Across the Universe of Time**

_In the deep blue of the light shine the millions of stars and my spirit burning bright._

* * *

"No, no, fuckin' no! She ain't comin' with us." Aldo stated in the back of the truck while Wicki drove. "We're takin' her to her house!"

It seemed that Elenore had been right; Hellstrom hadn't called many men. Now she had six men, including Hellstrom, lying dead in her tavern. Currently she was seated in-between Hicox and Stiglitz in the back of the Basterd's truck. Hicox had mentioned that they were going to have to bring Elenore along with them and Aldo was having none of it.

"We can't bring her to her house! They're going to be looking for her and they'll kill her!" Hicox argued to the lieutenant.

"That ain't my fuckin' problem." Aldo argued back.

Elenore came into this argument now. "Yes, it is your problem, mister Raine. You all came into my tavern and cause this catastrophe. You owe me!"

"I don't owe you shit! Yer the one who killed the major. Y' almost ruined our mission." Aldo declared.

"_I _almost ruined your mission?" She asked incredulously. "If I hadn't killed Hellstrom he would have killed Hicox and I, then he would have killed you and your men, then I'm quite sure he would have sought out Von Hammersmark and kill her as well. _I_ saved your mission!" She countered back harshly.

The truck became silent, minus the sounds of the engine. Hicox grinned at the woman. "She does make a very good point."

Aldo said nothing. He and Elenore were staring each other down. Hugo looked between the two. The German was conflicted about all of this. For one, he did not want Elenore joining them on this crazy mission to kill Hitler and his followers. But more importantly he didn't want her going home only to get killed for aiding them. He was still having a little trouble believing that she actually killed someone. When he was with her she wouldn't have even hurt a fly.

Elenore sighed audibly. "Mister Rain, all I'm asking is for you to save my life." She stated in a calmer tone. "I saved your mission and I sacrificed my life in France for it. I don't want any money, any prizes, or even recognition. Just my life. That's all I want." She told him honestly.

When Aldo looked into those big green eyes he remembered making her announce her child's death to all of them and he felt his heart clench a bit with guilt. This woman did something huge for them; she killed the man who was going to make sure they were all taken out and now she'd never be able to return to her tavern or even her home. Now he's trying to send her back to certain death. He was just as bad as a Nazi.

He sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. Yer with us."

Elenore let out a sigh of relief and she smiled at the lieutenant. "Thank you, mister Raine." She said gratefully.

He made a noise from the back of his throat in response. She leaned back in her slightly relaxed. Her mind and body were still coming to the terms that she had killed a man tonight. Tonight she became a murderer. It was bittersweet really. She believed that Hellstrom truly deserved to die, but never in a million years would she think that she would be the one to kill him.

She suddenly realized that Hugo was watching her. Despite herself, she glanced at him.

He spoke. "What was her name?"

She looked at him curiously, but she knew who he was talking about. "I named her Astrid." She answered moving her eyes away from his and looking down at her hands.

"What… what was she like?" Huge asked hesitantly.

Elenore noticed how silent the truck had gotten as all the men awaited her answer. She found it almost improper to speak about her deceased daughter in front of these men. Nonetheless, she reached into her pocket and took out a small snapshot of a little girl. She always kept this picture of her daughter with her. "She was a lot like you." She said handing the picture over to him. Hugo took it from her slightly trembling hands carefully and gazed down at the black and white picture of his daughter. In the picture the girl, Astrid, smiled shyly at the camera, her hair in pigtails. "She was silent around people she wasn't close to. She had your eyes too." There was much more Astrid had in common with her father, but Elenore was saying as little as possible in front of these strangers.

Hugo rubbed a thumb over the face of his child. She had dark hair just like her mother used to have. Her eyes and lips were shaped like Elenore's, but he could tell that those irises's were his. They were a piercing blue. He would never get to know her. He missed her entire five years of life and he felt his cold heart break at that fact. "Why did they kill her?" He asked numbly.

Elenore's eyes shut. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to have in the back of a truck. Aldo seemed to sense that. "Stiglitz, maybe that's a conversation that can wait when y' two got some privacy." The lieutenant suggested.

Hugo said nothing but he nodded, continuing to look down at the picture.

The rest of the ride was silent.

* * *

The place that they were staying at was not what Elenore was expecting. It was worse. It was an old run down animal hospital about an hour away from her tavern. She never knew it was here. She was thinking that almost no one in France knew this place was here. Aldo had stated that the owner worked for the American government; this was the closest place where they'd be safe until tomorrow night. There was only one problem with this place… there was only one spare bedroom.

So now they all stood outside the bedroom arguing on who was going to get it while Elenore stood in the background wondering why the hell she got stuck with a bunch of children.

"I'm telling you I deserve the room the most!" Donny argued earning a harsh glare from Omar.

"Why the hell do _you_ deserve the room the most?" The shorter man asked.

Donny glared back at him. "Cause I'm the one who kills Nazi's with a bat. _You_ use a gun. I actually use physical force!"

The two men went on to argue bitterly with one another. At the time, Elenore felt something rubbing against her leg. She looked down to find a gray and while cat rubbing its face against her ankle. Smiling lightly, she picked up the cat and massaged it behind its ear to which it purred appreciatively.

Elenore closed her eyes remembering Astrid's love for animals.

* * *

"_Mère, Mère!" The five year old shouted as she ran into the house._

_Elenore quickly ran out from the study expecting the worst not even noticing the bundle of fur in Astrid's hands. "What's wrong, mon cher?" She asked worriedly._

_Astrid gave one of her rare grins. "Look at what I found." She said lifting up the gray kitten that mewed at Elenore innocently._

_Elenore blinked once. "Astrid… where did you find a kitten?"_

"_I found it in the backyard." The little girl replied just as innocently as the kitten. "There's a maman and two more babies." She continued straining with her English a bit._

_Elenore always told her that they would speak French in public, but at home it was English. She wanted her daughter to know both languages just in case she ever decided to return to Canada. Things in France were getting worse._

"_Oh my, show me where they are." Elenore requested, to which Astrid smiled and took her mother's hand to lead her outside._

_They lived in a small cottage in an open field. Elenore didn't own the land, but the old couple who did were very kind to her and her daughter. They lived just up the street. They were the only two houses on the land. Elenore loved the privacy but Nazi's still managed to bother her sometimes._

_Astrid brought her mother over to her garden. The garden was practically all dead because Elenore barely worked on it because… well, because she knew she was a horrible gardener. Astrid had been right. There in the abandoned garden was a white and black cat lying in the dead leaves with two other kittens sleeping against her. One kitten was all gray just like the one Astrid had cradled to her while the third kitten was all black with just a white tip on the tail making it look like it was dipped in paint._

"_Can we keep them, Mère?" Astrid asked looking at her mother with big clear eyes._

_Elenore usually tried to ignore that look. It was a look Hugo always used to give her when he asked for something; curious and calculating. Shaking herself from that, she smiled at her child. "Well, they were born here. They're going to have to stay."_

_Astrid gave one of her reserved warm smiles. "We'll be a famille." She exclaimed happily._

_Elenore laughed lightly and nodded._

_The family never lasted because a week later the Nazi's came and ruined Elenore's life._

* * *

"Shut-it!" Aldo yelled causing Donny and Omar's arguing to seize.

Elenore's eyes snapped open as they cat squirmed in her arms. It was getting nervous from the yelling. She gently dropped the feline to the floor and it quickly scurried away. She watched the animal leave suddenly feeling detached.

"Th' lady get's th' room." The lieutenant stated firmly.

Elenore's eyes snapped onto the southerner shocked. She had the impression that he didn't like her. Some of the men didn't seem too happy about it, especially Donny. "Why the fuck does she get the room? She ain't even one of us!" The Jew Bear exclaimed.

"She's getting' the room cause she's a woman and I ain't gonna have her sleepin' downstairs with a bunch of men." Aldo explained with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, then can we share the room?" Donny asked not wanting to spend another night on the floor.

"Get yer ass downstairs, Donowitz!" Aldo demanded pointing towards the stairs.

"I didn't mean it like _that_ way." Donny defended. "I meant that I'd get the bed and she'd sleep on the floor."

"Donny!"

"Unless she wants to share—"

"I said downstairs! All of y' now!" Aldo yelled pointing.

The men grumbled and began scrambling down the stairs. All except Stiglitz. Just before Aldo was about to head down he gave the German a look. Hugo couldn't really tell if it was a look that told him to take his time or one that said don't try anything funny. He didn't know and he didn't care. He wanted answers.

Elenore felt him behind her as she walked into the spare bedroom that Aldo Raine had so 'graciously' bestowed upon her. The room was small. All it had was a bed, a dresser, a dirty window, a not so clean mirror, and a disturbing painting of a cat doing surgery on a dog on the wall above the bed.

Hugo was about to speak, Elenore turned on him. "What happened to your wife?" She asked him and it wasn't in an angry way. She was curious.

He was silent a moment. "She died." He said lowly. "She was killed because she was a Jew."

Elenore bit down on her bottom lip. Now she understood why Hugo had gone against his own kind; they killed his wife and now he found out they killed his daughter as well. "I'm sorry to hear that, Hugo." She told him sincerely. And she really did mean it. She wasn't a heartless person, even after he left her and even after her daughter was killed, she felt her heart break when she found out someone innocent was killed.

Hugo nodded. "Now, please tell me why…"

Elenore looked down at the floor. Her plain brown shoes seemed very interesting at the moment. She took in a deep breath. She needed to do this. She looked back up at him with sad eyes. "It was such a stupid reason. The people around town I lived in thought that I was… a whore."

"Why would they think that?" He interrupted.

"Because I was an unmarried mother." She replied. "It was three of them. They were so convinced that I was one. They had bothered me beforehand a couple of times." She closed her eyes as she recalled that dreadful night. "They followed me home one night when I was coming home from work. They were drunk. My neighbor was watching Astrid and she had just left when they came in." Her fists clenched as she remembered one of them throwing her down her down onto the floor while another began ripping off her clothing. Astrid was in the background crying. "I really didn't think they were going to shoot her."

The room became silent. Elenore crossed her arms suddenly feeling a chill. Finally, Hugo spoke. "What did they do to you?"

Elenore sighed. "They thought I was a prostitute; what do you think they did to me?" She didn't mean to sound so harsh. Really, she didn't. Hugo said nothing. "After they left… my neighbor came back when she saw the Nazi's leaving my house. She and her husband saved me… they gave me money and told me that I needed to get away before those men came back to do worse to me. I left, I changed my name and my appearance." She shook her head. "But I'll never forget."

When Hugo still said nothing, she glanced up at him. His body was tense and his fists were clenched. She half thought that he was going to punch the wall or something. His eyes were blazing when he looked at her. It made her feel very uneasy.

"This is my fault." He said through clenched teeth.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why would this be your fault?"

"I should have stayed. I should have divorced my wife and stayed with you." He said in his fit of anger.

Elenore immediately felt guilty. His wife, she never knew the woman, but she was the woman Hugo promised to be with forever. Then she had to enter the picture and fucked up two years for the couple. Then like always, the Nazi's fucked everything up for Hugo and his wife.

"Hugo, that's a little drastic. You did what—"

"I didn't love her." He said suddenly. Her eyes widened at this statement. "Well… I didn't love her the way I loved you. She was… she was my best friend. We were never in love."

Elenore's eyebrows scrunched together. "Then why did you marry her?"

"My parents idea. They wanted me to get married and thought that she was a good choice. I went with it because I trusted her more than anyone." He explained. "I regret that decision. She never got to experience love." He said uncomfortably. He's always been bad with touching moments. He was a rough guy.

Elenore touched his arm. She was about to make it a bit more touchier. "I'm sure she did experience love; the love of her best friend."

Hugo nodded before taking her hand into his. Elenore expected him to say something but instead his lips crushed against hers. She didn't respond at first; her mind didn't register it at first. Soon enough she was kissing him back though.

It wasn't soft or gentle. It was hard and desperate. His hand buried itself in her unnatural golden hair and he gripped onto it tightly while her hands gripped at the back of his neck. They kissed until they couldn't breathe. In that moment of catching their breaths he lifted her up and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. And before they knew it they were on the bed; her back into the not so comfortable cushions and him hovering atop her. His lips were on hers again and they both were pulling and yanking each others clothes off.

Elenore was having difficulty with his Nazi uniform. "I hate this ridiculous suit." She growled out against his lips.

"So do I."

* * *

The men downstairs looked up at the ceiling when they heard constant squeaking of the spare room's bed. Aldo tried to ignore it while his men just couldn't do that.

"Now how the fuck is it that Stiglitz is the one who ends up gettin' some action?" Donny asked quite pissed that someone was having sex upstairs and it wasn't him.

"I know right?" Omar asked. "And especially since you gave that great suggestion that we kill her." He continued teasingly.

"Yeah, I'm surprised Miss Ferland didn't throw herself at you." Utivich joined in on annoying the Bear Jew.

The rest of the men, minus Aldo and Hicox, chuckled. Donny glared at them but especially the two smaller men. "Shut-up, assholes." He muttered harshly.

As the soldiers joked around, Hicox approached Aldo. "Why did you leave them up there alone?"

The lieutenant shrugged. "They needed to talk. Didn't think it'd result t' that." He said somewhat darkly. He was a little disappointed in himself for not being able to foresee this.

"Shouldn't… shouldn't someone perhaps… stop them?" Hicox asked and Aldo shot him a look of disbelief.

"You wanna go up there and interrupt them? Be my guest." He said shaking his head at the British man's lack of thinking things through.

Hicox frowned now realizing his mistake. The last thing he, or anyone else for that matter wanted to do was interrupt Hugo Stiglitz being intimate with a woman. None of them really wanted to die at the hands of the German traitor.

* * *

Elenore's fingers dug into the back of Hugo's head at his final thrust. He stayed on top of her and inside of her for a moment longer. He was breathing heavily in her ear and her hands moved from his neck to his shoulders, her finger nails scratching him slightly. It didn't bother him, he liked it. She turned her face and kissed her cheek loving the feel of his damp skin on her lips. He pulled out of her, she gasped lightly at the friction, and plopped down right next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her close to him. He kissed the top of her head and she draped her arm around his waist.

There was only a moment of silence.

"How did you get over her death?" Hugo asked her.

Elenore closed her eyes. "I never did."

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter's longer than the rest. I don't know when I'm gonna be updating again. Life's been pretty hectic as of late, but I'll try to get it posted soon. I feel like I'm making Stiglitz totally OC and it's annoying me. So apologize if I'm making him out of character. Really I am.

There's a picture of Astrid on my profile. Go on and check it out.


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